Buyers report ordering more at GDS
18/03/2008
The Düsseldorf shoe trade fairs, GDS and GLS drew to a close on Sunday, March 16. The organisers have said the three days of the trade fair were characterised by a busy, satisfied mood, good turnover, avid interest in the presented trends and, above all, packed stands.
Compared to the March edition of the events last year, the number of visitors was up by approximately 3%, with 34,000 visitors, just under half of whom came from outside Germany, representing 76 countries. The total number of exhibitors present was 1,382.
In a representative survey, nine out of ten trade visitors rated the events of good or very good and, according to the organisers, were obviously in the mood for buying. By their own accounts buyers sizeably increased their ordering activities over last year’s GDS and GLS events. Furthermore, they voiced particular satisfaction with the fashion content on display, the topicality of the presented trends and the brands featured. The areas “Lifestyle & Sports”, “International Selection”, “Exclusivity”, “Young Fashion” including “Design Attack” and the noticeably enlarged “white cubes” generated the most interest from visitors.
Summing up results on the last day, Werner Matthias Dornscheidt, President and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, said: “With GDS growing by 13% in terms of exhibitors and by 3% in terms of visitors we now know for sure we are on the right track. All major traders but also small and medium-sized retailers visited the fair and have done good business.”
Representatives from international firms such as Aldo (Canada), Breuninger (Germany), El Corte Inglés (Spain), Hankyu Department Store (Japan), Humanic (Austria), New Paris Londres (Belgium), Notabene (Denmark), Peter Sheppard (Australia), Podium (Russia), Stiefelkönig (Austria), Tervolina (Russia) and The Mosso Group (USA), to name but a few, were spotted at the exhibition site. The most important of the 76 countries of origin apart from Germany were the Benelux, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Austria, Russia, Spain and the USA. GDS was worth a trip even for buyers from Australia, Japan, Colombia, Panama and South Africa.
“For our demanding clientele we are always in search of new brands and were really surprised by GDS this time. The trade fair has become even more attractive for us because numerous new international exhibitors were presented,” said Paul Prange, General Manager of the shoe store of the same name in Germany.
Julia Yatesenkova, Head of Purchasing for shoe multiple Russia from Novosibirsk, Russia, added: “We visited the trade fair for the first time. The wide range on offer justifies every minute of the long journey. For our 42 stores I have discovered many new things at GDS placing orders with several exhibitors. We will definitely be back in September.“
“We come to GDS not to have fun but to do business. This trade fair combines the fashion flair so important to us with an extensive choice of exhibitors,” explained Danny Wasserman of Tip Top Shoes from New York, US. “Here I order the shoes that make my range stand out from my New York competitors.”
Exhibitors leaving Düsseldorf on Sunday were equally satisfied. Three quarters of them either achieved or exceeded previously set targets, 91% of them rated visitor quality as good to very good and 90% have already decided to return in September.
“The atmosphere in the halls was noticeably positive. The conceptual changes initiated in the past are producing more and more effects. The prevailing mood whetted the appetite for more. I rate GDS as a success across the board,” said Ralph Rieker, Chairman of the Federation of the German Shoe Industry (HDS), summing up the outcome of the fair for the German manufacturers, who were present in Düsseldorf almost without exception.
The next GDS/GLS will be held from September 12 to 14 2008 at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre. The global shoes & accessories component will run from September 11 to13, not entirely in parallel with GDS for the first time.
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